Bottle closure



M. SAMBURG May 2l, 1940.l

BOTTLE CLOSURE @riginal Filed Jah. 5, 1939 Patented May 3l., 19d-5lUNITED STATES ZLYQI 2,201,791 BTTLE oLosUnE Maurice Samburg, New York,N. Y.

Application January 5, 1939, Serial No. 249,365- Renewed February Z1,1940 20 Claims.

The invention relates to a closure structure for bottles and the like,particularly glass bottles conventionally used as containers for theretailing of spiritual liquors or other liquids, for in- 5 stanceperfumes and the like.

Distillers of liquor who bottle and market such beverages, and perfumemanufacturers selling high-priced perfumes, under trade-marks ofconsiderable value and whose products are identied by the public by suchtrade-mark or a distinctive label, are faced with the serious problem ofpreventing or discouraging the relli-ng of bottles in which theirproducts were originally sold, by unscrupulous persons, with products ofinferior quality or of a different brand. For instance,

manufacturers are subject to the loss of valuable good will and aconsiderable amount of business by the illegal practice of unscrupulouspersons in refilling the bottles of the manufacturer after the originalcontents thereof have been dispensed, for instance in the case ofspiritual liquors, one form of such practice being for the unscrupulousperson to buy a quantity of empty bottles of a particular brand ofliquor or of a particular distiller and to refill them with a product ofinferior quality and therefore of cheaper price, and to recap and resellsuch bottles thus lled. Loss of a. large amount of revenue from taxes bygov'- ernments, both state and federal, is 'also incurred when suchpractice is carried out, as no vstamp or band evidencing the payment ofthe required excise tax is usually ailxed to such refilled container.'

One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent and, at leastin a great measure, dis-` courage this practice by providing a bottlefor such merchandise which, as soon as it has been opened, and whetheror not any portion of its contents has been dispensed, indicates thefact 40 that the bottle has been opened by the appearance of a legend,for instance, the wordsfBottle opened upon a non-removable portion of aclosure structure provided upon the bottle. Thus, in accordance with myinvention, I provide a oonstruction of bottle closure Which istamper-proof to the extent that as soon as the bottle has been opened,for instance by the removal of the original cap therefrom, the closuremember has been so affected as to bring into clear View of any onethereafter handling the bottle, and therefore of a purchaser or aconsumer, a legend clearly indicating that the container is no longer in.its original condition, in which it was shipped from the establishmentof the distiller, and that at least there has been an opportunity forsome one to have removed a part of the original content of the liquid orall of such contents and to have replaced the same with some otherliquid.

In accordance With my invention, I accomplish this object by providing acontainer, such as a l5 glass bottle, with a construction of the neck ofI the glass bottle which has been slightly modified from theconventional glass neck of a bottle, so as to be adapted to receive andvhave applied thereto a closure structure, including a cap, so q odesigned and having elements so cooperatively inter-related as to causean immediate indication, once the cap has been unscrewed, of the factthat the bottle has been opened. In this manner, any one thereafterhandling the bot- ,-15 tle so opened is immediately apprised of the factby the appearance of an informative legend upon the glass neck of thebottle and which legend may not ybe brought thereafter by vany operationof the closure structure or any element thereof 20 to an invisible orhidden condition. In other Words, my novel construction of closurestructure provides an insurance that once the bottle has been openedsuch fact becomes permanently evident to a prospective consumer orpurchaser, and 25 any refilling of the bottle with liquid of inferiorquality or of a different origin would immediately bebrought to theattention of such user or purchaser. In its broadest aspect, my novelclosure structure comprises a metal ring or band applied to a portion ofthe neck of the bottle so as to overlie, and therefore completely hidefrom view, the legend upon the bottle neck indicating that the bottlehas been opened. This metallic ring or 35 band is surmounted by a sleevewhich is in turn Surmounted by the' conventional threaded type ofmetalliccap. Within the band surrounding the lovvermost portion of thebottle neck, Which carries the aforesaid legend, there is positioned 40an expansible corrugated ring type of spring, and within the closurestructure, anchored between a bead extending from a portion of thebottle neck and a flange extending inwardly from the upper edge of thesleeve, there is positioned a coil spring.. When the conventional cap isunscrevved from the neck of the bottle, the coil spring expands andcauses the sleeve and metallic band to move upwardly along` the bottleneck until the legend is completely uncovered and brought into View. 50Means are provided, as by pressing in ay portion of the peripheralsurface of the band above the corrugated ring type of Spring, toprevent, once the band has moved upwardly, such band beingl again movedback to its original position to overlie, 55

and therefore hide, the legend. Upon the upward movement of the band,the corrugated ring spring expands to a substantial contact with theinner peripheral surface of the band, and by reason of its verticalwidth abuts against the pressed-n portion of the band and prevents thelatter from movement downwardly along the bottle neck.

Various features of construction making my novel closure structurecommercially feasible are also embodied in its fabrication andapplication, and these specific features of novelty will be moreparticularly pointed out in conjunction with the following descriptionof a particular embodiment of my invention.

Such specific embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a front view of the upperportion of a bottle showing my novel closure structure in verticalsection; Fig. 2 is a side view of the closure structure positioned uponthe bottle neck with the cap removed from the remainder of the closureand the latter in the position thereof assumed when the bottle has beenopened; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the condition ofthe closure structure before the operation of indenting a portion of itsperipheral surface; Fig. 4 is a side view of the closure structureduring the operation of removing the cap therefrom and before the lowerportion of the closure has been permitted to move upwardly by the actionof the spring to uncover the legend, upon the bottle neck, indicatingthat the bottle has been opened; Fig. 5 is a vertical section throughthe body of the closure structure not including the cap; Fig. 6 is asection on the line 6-6 of Figs. 2 and 3; and Fig. 7 is a section on theline l--l of Figs. 1 and 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in which similar referencecharacters identify similar parts in the several views, IG designatesthe body of a glass bottle or container having an integral neck Ilformed of a plurality of sections I2, I3, I6 and I5. Section I2 of theneck is that immediately adjacent the body of the bottle or container;section I3 is the immediately adjacent section of smaller diameter;section Irl is the next adjacent section of slightly greater diameterthan section I3; and section I5 is the topmost section of slightlysmaller diameter than section I4. The section Ill is providedsubstantially at its mid-portion with a circular bead I5; theconventional threading I' being provided about the periphery of thesection I5, adapted to be cooperatively engaged by the threading of ametal cap I3 provided upon its internal surface with the conventionalcork or composition sealing disc IS.

The body of my novel closure structure comprises a ring member or band2S seated at its lower end upon the bottle neck section I 2, its upperportion extending upwardly slightly beyond the bead I6, such upperportion terminating in an upwardly extending flange 2 I, the diameter ofthe band being reduced at a point intermediate its ends to indicate thepoint at which the band is to be pressed in or indented for the purposehereinafter described. Upon this flange is adapted to be seated a secondelement of my closure structure, namely a ring or sleeve 22 likewisehaving an inwardly extending flange 23. The upper portion of the band 2Dat the flange 2l thereof is corrugated as at 26 for a purposehereinafter described. The sleeve 22 is similarly provided, at both itsupper and lower peripheral edges with corrugations 25', the lattercooperating with corrugations 25 provided upon the lower peripheral edgeof the cap I8.

Surrounding the narrow section I3 of the bottle neck is a split ringspring 26 of a vertical width slightly less than the depth of suchnarrow section. This ring spring is formed in a plurality ofcorrugations, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, being expansibleand compressible within its surrounding section I3 of the bottle neck asthe spring is a split ring, compression and expansion of the springbeing permitted by the extent of the separation of its two free ends.

Maintained between the upper surface of the bead I 5 and the lowersurface of the flange 2I of the band 2E) is a compression type of spring27 which is held under compression when the closure structure is firstapplied to the container, and is effective, by its expansion, when thecap I5 is removed from the container, to cause the band 20 to moveupwardly along the bottle neck and 'fl' expose a suitable legend, forinstance, the legend "Bottle used etched, imprinted or otherwise appliedto the peripheral surface of the container neck section l2, as shown inFigs. l to 3.

In assembling o: applying my novel closure structure to the neck of thecontainer, when the container has been filled, the corrugated spring 2Gis first placed in position, in its fully expanded condition, about thenarrow section I3 of the bottle neck, the spring 2i placed in positionupon l the bead E6, and the band 2B is then placed over the containerneck so as to have the flange 2| thereof compress the coil spring 2.Thereafter, a suitable tool is applied to the midsection of the band Zas indicated at the shoulder formed by the reduction in diameter of theband, to indent or press in such midsection to the extent indicated at2li, in Figs. l and 2. This indentation of the midsection of the band 2Dwill cause a contraction of the corrugated spring 2G to the extent .1

shown in Fig. '7. The sleeve 22 is then applied, setting the same uponthe flange 2l of the ring with the corrugations along the lowerperiphery of the sleeve cooperatively engaging the corrugations of theupper peripheral edge of the band 2S. The cap i3 is then screwed ontothe threads of the section I5 of the bottle neck with the corrugations25 of the cap in cooperative engagement with the corrugations 25 alongthe upper peripheral edge of the sleeve 22. The conventional revenuestamp or strip 29 is then applied to the container in the usual mannerby pasting one end portion thereof to the body of the bottle near theneck, passing the strip over the cap and then pasting the other end ofthe strip upon the opposite side of the container body.

Having now described the mode of application of my novel closurestructure to a container which has been filled with its originalcontents, the manner in which the closure, when the cap has been removedfrom the container, indicates such fact and therefore that the bottlemay not contain all or even part of its original contents, is asfollows:

Upon breaking the seal constituted by the revenue stamp or strip, oreven without suoli breaking, when the cap I8 is rotated counterclockwiseupon the threads I'l, the meshings of the corrugations between the lowerperipheral edge of the cap and the upper peripheral edge oi the sleeve22, and the corrugations between the lower peripheral edge of the sleeveand the corrugations on the band, will cause the entire closurestructure to rotate as a unit. The coil v lil) Cil

spring 2'! will then expand, carrying with it the sleeve and band 20,which elements will move upwardly along the neck of the container untilthe indentation 28 comes into abutting relation with the bead IS. Thisupward movement of the ring 2U will be just sucient to expose the legendBottle used or any other legend of similar connotation throughout theperipheral surface of the bottle neck section I2. As soon as the upperlimit of the movement of the band 2i! has thus been reached, thecorrugated ring spring 25 will expand to its position shown in Figs. 2and 6, taking the position below the shoulder formed by the indentation28. Upon the attainment, by the corrugated ring spring of this position,it is impossible to depress the band 2E or the sleeve 22 by anymanipulation thereof or by any attempt at the replacement of the cap I8. IThe sleeve 22 may then be removed and disposed of, the uppermostAsection of the neck of the 'container extending beyond the flange 2|and carrying the thread il', being sufcient to permit the replacement ofthe cap E8 upon the bottle neck, so as to effect a closure of thecontainer after removal of a portion of its contents. Under nocircumstances, however, may such cap be rotated to a suiiicient extentto cause the sleeve 22, if replaced, and the band 2i) to be againdepressed so as to have the latter cover the legend appearing upon thelowermost section of the bottle neck.

My novel closure structure, therefore, constitutes an effective means ofindicating that the container has been tampered with or has been openedand insures the consumer against fraudulent replenishment of thecontents of the container by an inferior grade of product or, as amatter of fact, of any liquid not originally contained in the bottlewhen it was filled by the distiller or perfume manufacturer.

In the application of the revenue stamp of strip, it is quite possibleand as a matter of fact usual, to apply such revenue stamp or strip tothe bottle and its neck in such manner that the stamp or strip isadhesively secured not only to the bottle body and to the cap, but alsoto the neck of the bottle. When a bottle carrying a closure structure ofmy novel form has applied thereto such a revenue stamp or strip, thestamp may be adhesively secured intentionally or otherwise to theopposite surfaces of the band Zii, as shown in Fig. 1. If this shouldoccur, the adhesively applied stamp or strip may prevent such band frommoving upwardly even after the cap has been removed from the bottleneck. It is therefore essential to provide a structure which will forcethe rotation of the entire closure structure about the neck when thebottle is sought to be opened. For this reason, I have provided my novelclosure structure with the corrugations along the bottom peripheral edgeof the cap, along the upper and lower peripheral edges of the sleevemember, and along the upper peripheral edge of the band. By providingthese corrugations, which in the closed condition of the bottle areintermeshed, when the cap alone is sought to be rotated, it will carrywith it automatically the sleeve and the band, thereby insuring thebreaking or fracture of the revenue stamp or strip and eliminating thepossibility that the adhesive connection between the bottle body and theband, 'by means of such revenue stamp or strip, will prevent the bandand the sleeve frommoving upwardly when the cap has been removed fromthe bottle neck.

While it is obvious that the above described construction, i. e.involving the corrugation of the peripheral edges of the cap, sleeve,and band is not essential to the satisfactory operation of my novelclosure structure, it is described in detail both with respect tofunction and advantages as the provision thereof enhances the commercialpracticability of my closure structure. It is obvious that variousmodications and changes, particularly in the arrangement, structure andconfiguration of the several parts of my novel construction, may be madewithout departing from my invention. Thus, in place of the coil spring2l, used in the specic illustrated embodiment of my invention, there maybe used any compressible spring, for instance, a at spring bent alongits extent out of a single plane. Also, instead of a circumferentialindentation. of the band 2li, the same eifect may be secured by means oftwo or more surface indentations, not extending substantiallycircumferentially of the band.

It will be noted also, that one important feature of my novelconstruction of closure structure resides in the fact that the entirecombination of band, compressible spring, and corrugated spring iscapable of application to the bottle as a unit, i.e. in a singleoperation, the assembly of the elements being carried out separately andnot as a part of the bottling operation. Obviously, also, in supplyingsuch assembled unit, ready for application to a lled container, theoperation of indenting the band may be dispensed with by substitutingsome other form of retaining means for the expanded corrugated ringspring. Similarly, some other form of cap or closure element may besubstituted for the screw cap described and illustrated, for instance astopper of cork or composition material with a head suitably configuredto provide abutment for the flange of the sleeve or band.

I claim:

l. A closure structure for acontainer having a neck, comprising a bandsurrounding the neck, the neck having a circumferential groove and beingprovided with a symbol indicating that the bottle has been opened andcovered by said band in one position thereof, means for causing movementof the band along the container neck to uncover said symbol, and meansfor preventing the retrograde movement of said band upon said neck.

2, A closure structure for a container having a neck, comprising a bandsurrounding the neck, the neck being provided with a symbol indicatingthat the bottle has been opened, on the container neck and covered bysaid band in one position thereof, a cap for said container, springmeans for causing the movement of the band along the container neck touncover said symbol when the cap is rotated, and means for preventingthe retrograde movement' of said band upon said neck.

3. A closure structure for a container' having a neck, comprising a bandsurrounding the neck, the neck being provided with a symbol indicat-.ing that the bottle has been opi-ined. on the container neck andcovered by said band inv one position thereof, a sleeve surmounting saidband, a cap for the container, means for causing the movement of theband and sleeve along the container neck to cause the band to uncoversaid symbol, and means for preventing the retrograde movement of saidband upon said neck.

4. A closure structure for a container having an elongated neck,comprising a band, means for causing the movement of the band along thecontainer neck, and means for preventing the retrograde movement of saidband upon said neck.

5. A closure struct-ure for a container having an elongated neck,comprising a band surrounding the neck, a sleeve surmounting said band,a cap for the container, means for causing the movement of the bandalong the container neck and means for preventing the retrogrademovement of said band upon said neck.

6. A closure structure for a container having an elongated neck,comprising a band surrounding the neck, a sleeve surmounting said band,a cap for the container, a spring for causing the movement of the bandalong the container neck when said cap has been removed, and means forpreventing the retrograde movement of said band upon said neck, saidmeans comprising a circumferential indentation upon the band and aspring abutting said indentation.

'7. A closure structure for a containe having an elongated neck,comprising a band surroiuiding the neck, a sleeve surmounting said band,a cap for the container, a symbol on the container neck covered by saidband in one position thereof, means for causing the movement of the bandalong the container neck to uncover said symbol to indicate that thebottle has been opened, said means comprising a coil spring controlledby said sleeve, and means for preventing the retrograde movement of saidband upon said neck, comprising a circumferential indentation upon theband and a split corrugated ring spring abutting said indentation in itsexpanded condition.

8. A closure structure for a container coinprising a band, a splitcorrugated type of ring spring within said band, said band having enintermediate portion thereof pressed inwardly to constitute an abutmentfor the upper edge of said corrugated ring spring, a sleeve surmountingsaid band and having its upper peripheral edge turned inwardly toconstitute a ange, a coil spring the expansion of which is governed bysaid flange, and a threaded cap surmounting said sleeve.

9. A closure structure for container having an elongated neck,comprising a band surrounding a section of said neck, a split corrugatedtype of ring spring surrounding a portion of the section of the neckwhich the band overlies, section of the neck being provided with alegend. indicating that the bottle has been opened, said band having anintermediate portion thereof pressed inwardly to constitute an abutmentfor the upper edge of said corrugated ring spring, a sleeve surmountingsaid band and having its upper peripheral edge turned inwardly toconstitute a flange, a bead upon said container neck, a coil springpositioned between said bead and said ange, and a threaded capsurmounting said sleeve.

10. A closure structure as claimed in claim 2, in which the band. at itsupper peripheral edge, and the cap at its lower peripheral edge, isprovided with corrugations.

1l. A closure structure as claimed in claim 3, in which the band, at itsupper peripheral edge, the sleeve at its upper and lower vperipheraledges, and the cap at its lower peripheral is provided withcorrugations.

12. A closure structure as claimed in claim 8, in which the band, at itsupper peripheral edge, the sleeve at its upper and lower peripheraledges, and the cap at its lower peripheral edge, is provided withcorrugations.

13. A closure structure as claimed in claim 9, in which the band, at itsupper peripheral edge, the sleeve at its upper and lower peripheraledges, and the cap at its lower peripheral edge, is provided withcorrugations.

14. In a closure structure for a container having a neck, a bandsurrounding a section of said neck, an expansible spring surrounding aportion of the section of the neck, which the band overlies, said bandhaving at least a portion thereof pressed inwardly to constitute anabutment f r said spring in its expanded condition, and a threaded capupon the end portion of the said contai er neck.

15. In a closure structure for a container having a neck, a bandsurrounding a section of said neck, an expansible spring surrounding aportion of the section of the neck which the band overlies, said sectionof the neck being provided with a legend indicating that the bottle hasbeen opened, said band having at least a portion thereof intermediate toits ends pressed inwardly to constitute an abutment for said spring inits expanded condition, sleeve surmounting said band, a flange extendinginwardly from the upper end of said band, a bead upon said containerneck, a compressible spring positioned between said bead and saidvflange, and a threaded cap surmounting said sleeve.

16. In a closure structure for a container having a neck, a bandsurrounding a section of said neck, an expansible corrugated springsurrounding a portion of the section of the neck which the bandovcrlies, said section of the neck being provided with a legendindicating that the bottle has been opened, said band having at least aportion thereof inte mediate its ends pressed inwardly to constitute anabutment for said spring in its expanded condition, a sleeve surmountingsaid band, a flange extending inwardly from the upper end of said band,a bead upon said container neck, a compressible coil spring positionedbetween said bead and said flange, and a threaded cap surrnounting saidsleeve.

17. A closure for a container having an elongated neck, comprising aunitary structure having a band provided with a flange extendinginwardly at its upper end, an expansiblc spring within the band, saidband having an intermediate portion thereof pressed inwardly toconstitute an abutment for said spring in its expanded condition, and acompression spring positioned within the band and abutting said ange.

18. A closure for a container having an elongated neck, comprsing aunitary structure having a band provided with a flange extendinginwardly at its upper end, a split corrugated type of ring spring withinthe bond. said band having an intermediate portion thereof pressedinwardly to constitute an abutment for said spring in its expandedcondition, and a coil spring positioned within the band and abuttingsaid flange.

19. The combination, with a container having an elongated neck, asection of the neck having a circumferential groove and being providedwith a legend indicating that the container has been opened, of a bandsurrounding said section of the neck, means surrounding a portion of thesection of the neck which the band overlies to cause movement of theband along said neck, when restraint upon said band is removed, mea forlimiting the upward movement of said band upon said neck, a sleevesurmounting said band, and a threaded cap surmounting said sleeve.

20. In combination, with a container having anv elongated neck, asection of the neck being provided with a legend indicating that thecontainer has been opened, a circumferential bead on said neck abo-vesaid legend, a band surrounding said neck section, said band having itsupper peripheral edge turned inwardly to 10 constitute a flange, acompression spring extending between said bead and flange and effective,

upon its expansion, to move said band upwardly f along the containerneck, to uncover the legend, an expansible spring Within the bandadapted to expand upon such upward movement of the band, means upon saidband t'o prevent its retro grade movement along the neck, said meansabutting the expanded spring, and a closure cap upon the end of thecontainer neck.

MAURICE SAMBURG.

